Fishing line float



Nov. 14, 1950 c. D. VANDERPOOL, JR 2,530,100

FISHING LINE FLOAT Filed 001;. 17, 1947 Fig. I.

Inventor Clarence D. Vanderpool, Jr.

Patented Nov. 14, 1950 2,530,100 FISHING LIN E FLOAT Clarence D. Vanderpool, Jr., Towanda, Par

Application fictob er 17, 1947, Serial No. 780,335

'I'his invention relates to new and useful improvements and structural refinements in floats for fishing lines, and the principal object of the invention is to provide a device of the character herein described, such as may be eifectively and conveniently employed for visually indicating to the fisherman that a fish is biting on the line.

A further object of the invention is to provide a fishing line float which, being of luminous nature, is particularly adapted for use for fishing at night.

Another object of the invention is to provide a fishing line fioat which is simple in construction, which may be quickly and easily attached to or detached from the fishing line, and which will effectively assist the fisherman in determining the proper moment when the fishing line should be pulled or tugged.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a float which will readily lend itself to economical manufacture, which will not easily become damaged, and which is well adapted for the purpose for which it is intended.

With the above more important objects in view, and such other objects as may become apparent as this specification proceeds, the invention consists essentially of the arrangement and construction of parts as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a cross sectional view of the'ina body II of a substantially conical form longitudinally with curved upper and lower portions,

the body H being formed from plastic or similar material and possessing suificient buoyancy so that it will float on the water in a substantially upright position, as shown in the drawings.

If desired, the lower portion of the body may assume the form of a hollow chamber l2 so that proper lightness of the float is assured. Moreover, a suitable weight I3 may be provided in the chamber l2 for the purpose of maintaining "1 Claim. (01. 43-17) the body in a substantially upright position,- as

will be clearly apparent; v

The upper portion of'the'body H is formed with a diametrically extending, transverse slot or recess l4, and if desired, further lightening chambers I 5 may be provided at the sides of this slot or recess, as is best shown in Figure 2.

A lever I6 is pivotally mounted upon a shaft H which is secured in a pair of side walls It! defining the aforementioned recess 16, one end portion of the lever l 6 normally projecting from the recess [4 of the body H, and being provided with an aperture I 9, the purpose of which will be presently explained.

A signal member assuming the form of a disk of luminous material 2|] is secured to the inner, remaining end portion of the lever 16, the disk 20 being normally disposed within the recess I4, as shown.

Finally, a screw eye 2| is provided at the upper end of the body ll, while a conventional fishing line 22 is secured or anchored to this eye, as indicated at 23. This line passes slidably through the aperture [9 of the lever l6, and is ultimately secured to the fishing hook (not shown), a portion of the line between the lever l6 and the eye 2| being slack when the signal member 20 is in its lowered position.

When the device is initially placed in water, a sufiicient amount of slack is left in the line between the eye 2| and the aperture 19 of the lever so that a pull on the hook will draw the line through the aperture and simultaneously frictionally engage and move the lever about its shaft, in the direction of the arrow 24, so that the signal member 20 is swung out of the slot, as at 25, to a position exteriorly of the float, as indicatedat 26, thus calling the fishermans attention to the fact that a fish is biting. Of course, by employing lines of different diameters relative to the size of the aperture l9, difierent frictional effects will be produced on the lever It will be-readily apparent that since the disk 20 is of a luminous character, the float may be efiectively employed for night fishing.

Needless to say, as soon as the flsh ceases to bite, the disk 20 will automatically recede into the recess I4 under the influence of gravity.

It is believed that the advantages and use of the invention will be clearly apparent from the foregoing disclosure, and accordingly, further description thereof at this point is deemed unnecessary.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

A float of substantially conical form longitudinally having upper and lower portions curved, a weight in the lower portion, the upper portion having a slot extending from its uppermost point to a point substantially midway of the length of the float and completely across the float to divide the upper portion thereof into two substantially equal parts, an eyesecured to one of said parts adjacent the uppermost portion thereof and at substantially the center thereof, a shaft extending across the slot and secured to both parts at positions to one side of the longitudinal center of the float, a signalling device having a lever pivotally mounted on said shaft and provided with an enlarged portion at one side of the shaft and within said slot, and a long narrow portion at the other side of the shaft, said narrow portion having: an aperture therein, and

,a line secured to the eye and passing through said aperture, said line ,beingadapted to have a hook attached thereto, whereby a pull on the 4 hook may cause the swinging of the lever so as to move the enlarged portion out of the slot to a position exteriorly of the float.

CLARENCE D. VANDERPOOL, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,394,313 Leeper Oct. 18, 1921 1,410,817 Lloyd Mar. 28, 1922 1,667,606 Romano Apr. 24, 1928 1,823,937 Hatchett Sept. 22, 1931 2,201,588 Kuhns May 21, 1940 2,327,789 Hixon Aug. 24, 1943 OTHER REFERENCES Popular Mechanics, September1936; page-456, article title Float for the Young Fisherman Resembles Boat. 

